Astronomers discover that small dwarf galaxies in the Milky Way contain only a few stars and share the same birth date, indicating they were shut down by reionization. The relic galaxies provide evidence for a transitional phase in the early universe.
Astronomers have discovered that the Milky Way's stars are moving in unexpected ways, suggesting a recent encounter with a small galaxy or dark matter structure. The team found a north-south asymmetry in the distribution of stars, which may be caused by a vertical wave formed by the object's passage.
A previously unappreciated open star cluster, Ruprecht 147, has been found to be an important tool in understanding stellar astrophysics and the search for Earth-like planets. The cluster is close to Earth and contains stars similar in mass and age to the Sun, making it a valuable laboratory for studying bright stars.
Researchers have found that terrestrial planets like Earth could have formed earlier than expected in the universe's history. The study suggests that rocky worlds don't need to orbit metal-rich stars to form and that their sizes are not directly linked to the star's metallicities.
New research reveals small planets can form around stars with low heavy element content, challenging previous assumptions. This discovery suggests Earth-like planets may be widespread in the universe, contradicting earlier theories on planetary formation requirements.
Researchers found that some baby galaxies from over 12 billion years ago had a high content of heavier elements, similar to our Sun. This suggests potential for planet formation and life in the early Universe. The study used quasars as light sources to analyze the spectral lines and measure the amount of elements.
Despite lacking a brain, brittle stars exhibit coordinated movement by designating a central arm and two rowing arms to propel it along. They can also change direction by choosing a new central arm and moving its accompanying limbs.
Astronomers discovered that hot Jupiter-type planets are likely to have no companions in their systems, supporting the theory of a close encounter with another body causing orbital elongation. This study used Kepler mission data and found compelling evidence for companion planets around warm Jupiters and hot Neptunes.
Researchers found four white dwarfs with dust from shattered planetary bodies containing oxygen, magnesium, iron, and silicon, similar to the Earth's composition. The study provides evidence of a 'terminal phase' in the death of rocky exoplanets, potentially shedding light on their destruction process.
Astronomers have discovered a group of over 675 hypervelocity stars on the outskirts of the Milky Way, which are believed to have been ejected from the galactic core. These stars, found in intergalactic space between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy, exhibit high metallicity indicating an inner galactic origin.
For the first time, astronomers have detected arsenic and selenium in an ancient star, revealing insights into the origin of these elements. The discovery sheds light on how stars produce heavier elements, including those found on Earth.
The new Hubble image reveals millions of young stars in the 30 Doradus star-forming complex, with some stars weighing over 100 times the mass of our sun. The nebula is home to the fastest rotating and highest velocity stars ever observed.
Astronomers have identified two 11- to 12-billion-year-old white dwarf stars, the oldest and closest known to Earth. Located 100 light years away, these stars are believed to be among the first formed in the Universe soon after the Big Bang.
New research reveals that supermassive black holes can double in mass by ripping apart double-star systems and swallowing one of the stars. This process is thought to be the dominant method for growing these massive objects.
A University of Utah astrophysicist has proposed that supermassive black holes in galaxy centers grow by consuming single stars from wandering binary pairs. The study found that this process is an efficient way to bring stars close to black holes, outperforming gas clouds as a growth mechanism.
Researchers used radio and infrared telescopes to study a giant cloud about 770 light-years from Earth, discovering a 'pristine' clump of gas that may be on the verge of forming dense cores. The observations reveal previously unseen substructures within the clump that could lead to the formation of ten new stars.
A team of researchers from MIT has detected tellurium, a rare Earth element, for the first time in three ancient stars. The finding supports the theory that tellurium and other heavy elements likely originated from a rare type of supernova during nuclear fusion.
Astronomers have discovered a young cluster of blue stars surrounding an intermediate-mass black hole in a cannibal galaxy. The star cluster is thought to be less than 200 million years old and may be the remnant of a dwarf galaxy that was swallowed by the larger galaxy.
Researchers found a cluster of young, blue stars encircling the first intermediate-mass black hole ever discovered in a dwarf galaxy. The presence of this star cluster suggests that the black hole was once at the core of the now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy.
The CalTech-led Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey has released a massive dataset of 200 million celestial objects, including stars, supernovae, and asteroids. This unprecedented data set will enable scientists to study the evolution of stars, massive black holes, and the structure of the Milky Way.
A recent study found that a large fraction of planets have orbital distances between 0.5 and 10 sun-Earth distances, challenging the previous assumption that most extrasolar planets were gas giants closer to their stars.
A team of astronomers using gravitational microlensing detected three exoplanets, including a super-Earth and planets comparable to Neptune and Jupiter. Combining this data with previous findings, the researchers conclude that planets are more common than stars in the Milky Way.
Scientists have discovered two new circumbinary planets, Kepler-34b and Kepler-35b, orbiting two stars in the constellation Cygnus. The discovery suggests that planets with two suns are common, potentially existing in millions in the Galaxy. This finding sheds light on the formation of these unique planetary systems.
Two new transiting circumbinary planet systems have been discovered using data from NASA's Kepler Mission. The planets, Kepler-34 b and Kepler-35 b, orbit two stars in the constellation Cygnus, with climates that could experience dramatic temperature changes due to the variable distance between the planet and its stars.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found a large population of hot, bright blue stars in the center of the Andromeda galaxy. The stars, which are aging sun-like stars, have prematurely shed their outer layers to expose their extremely blue-hot cores.
Most of the Milky Way's 100 billion stars have planets similar to Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The research found an average of 1.6 planets in the habitable zone around each star.
The Hubble Space Telescope has created the sharpest visible-light image ever made of the nucleus of an external galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy. The blue stars surrounding the massive black hole are just 200 million years old and formed in a burst of star formation near the black hole.
The Cygnus X region is home to thousands of massive stars and many more stars around the size of our sun or smaller. Infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals a complex of star-forming clouds, with bubbles carved out by radiation and winds from massive stars.
A Caltech-led team of astronomers has discovered 18 new planets orbiting massive stars, with masses similar to Jupiter's. The findings provide valuable insights into planetary formation and support the theory that planets grow from seed particles accumulating gas and dust in a disk surrounding a newborn star.
Researchers have found the largest batch of young, supermassive stars yet observed in our galaxy, including dozens of massive blue stars. The intense light emitted by these newborn stars has carved out a glowing hollow shell around them, offering a unique opportunity to study energy transmission and star formation.
Researchers studying a binary star system in the Whirlpool Galaxy have detected a star dimming noticeably before its companion exploded in a supernova. The study provides evidence that certain patterns of brightening and dimming may signal an impending doom for stars, making it possible to predict when a star is near death.
Researchers mapped over 100 molecular clouds in the LMC and found many low-mass clouds, contradicting conventional wisdom. The team hopes to learn more about the metamorphosis of gas clouds into stars.
Researchers have discovered that ancient stars in the Milky Way's halo contain abnormally large amounts of heavy elements like gold and uranium. By analyzing the motions of these stars, they found evidence suggesting that exploding supernovae may have sent jets of enriched gas into space, creating the heavy-element rich stars.
Astronomers found two distinct populations of neutron stars, suggesting different supernova channels. The findings shed light on stellar evolution and open new research areas.
Researchers find that icy dust specks on interstellar clouds can speed up chemical reactions, forming complex organic molecules. This discovery sheds light on the origins of life in the Universe, suggesting that these dust grains may play a crucial role in seeding galaxies with chemical potential for life.
Complex organic compounds found throughout Universe contain aromatic and aliphatic components, resembling coal and petroleum. Stars produce these compounds on short time scales, ejecting them into interstellar space.
A team of astronomers has discovered three new planets and a mystery object orbiting giant, dying stars. The research provides insights into the evolution of planetary systems around these stars and how metal content influences their behavior.
Astronomers have discovered a planet that orbits around a pair of stars, providing direct evidence for the existence of circumbinary planets. The discovery was made using data from the NASA Kepler space telescope and confirms long-speculated theories about these systems.
Astronomers detect a double sunset on the newly discovered Kepler-16b, a planet similar to Saturn in size and mass. The planet orbits two smaller, cooler stars and is estimated to be around -100°C due to its distance from its parent bodies.
Researchers have detected stellar oscillations in a hotter star, revealing insights into its internal structure and composition. The discovery was made possible by the Kepler space telescope and provides new information on the processes that govern stellar behavior.
A CSIRO study reveals galaxies have less molecular hydrogen gas than in the past, leading to fewer stars forming. The decline in gas availability is linked to Dark Energy's acceleration of the Universe's expansion.
Astrophysicists are using Type Ia supernovae, also known as 'zombie' stars, to build a map of the universe's history and understand dark energy. The stars' explosive deaths can be used to measure distances in the universe.
Researchers have found that galaxies previously thought to be dead and devoid of star formation are actually still producing new stars. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists observed individual young stars and clusters in four galaxies, revealing an average star-formation rate of one sun every 10,000 years.
Astronomers have created an atlas of galactic 'train wrecks' to understand the collision process and form, growth, and evolution of galaxies. The study combines data from Spitzer Space Telescope and Galaxy Evolution Explorer to analyze areas where stars are forming rapidly.
The discovery of blue stragglers in the Milky Way's hub suggests that the galaxy stopped making stars billions of years ago. The findings provide new constraints for models of the star-formation history of the bulge.
Astronomers have discovered a local supernova factory in the Carina Nebula, which may help understand how young stars release newly-forged elements into their surroundings. The Chandra X-ray Observatory detected over 14,000 stars, six possible neutron stars, and a new population of young massive stars.
Researchers have found a method to measure a star's true age using its spin. Astronomer Soren Meibom presented his findings in a press conference, nearly doubling the age covered by previous studies of younger clusters. The technique involves measuring stellar rotation rates for stars in clusters with known ages.
A newly merged black hole can be detected by observing the tidal disruption of surrounding stars, which will provide accurate distances and precise sky coordinates. This could lead to a better understanding of dark energy and Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Astronomers have updated the census of sun-like stars with data from NASA's Kepler Mission, detecting changes in brightness in 500 stars. This provides a much better understanding of the stars' properties and their evolution, allowing for detailed measurements of star basics such as mass and age.
Astronomers have discovered a binary system consisting of two white dwarfs orbiting each other every 39 minutes. The stars are expected to collide and merge in 37 million years, resulting in the formation of a single star. This discovery marks the first time such an event has been observed.
Cardiff University astronomers propose that young stars' long naps could lead to the birth of smaller stars and planets. The researchers developed advanced computer models to simulate young star behavior, finding that disc fragmentation is possible in nature.
Researchers have discovered a thick stellar disc in the Andromeda galaxy, composed of older stars with distinct chemical and orbital properties. This finding sheds light on the formation and evolution of spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way.
Astrophysicists used computer simulations to find that the first stars could have formed alongside multiple companions. The simulations suggest that these companion stars were born when the gas disks surrounding the first star broke up, giving rise to sibling stars in fragments.
Astronomers used Hubble Space Telescope to observe eight massive stars in Small Magellanic Cloud, finding five without large neighbors and three in tiny clusters. The study suggests that giant stars can form randomly across the universe, including in isolation.
Elliptical galaxies are found to contain five to ten times as many red dwarfs as thought, with implications for galaxy formation and evolution. The discovery could lead to a reevaluation of dark matter in these galaxies.
Astronomers at Yale University have discovered that small red dwarfs are much more prolific than previously believed, increasing the total number of stars in the universe. The discovery found 20 times more red dwarfs in elliptical galaxies than in the Milky Way, with potential implications for galaxy formation and evolution.
Astronomers Andrey Kravtsov and Nick Gnedin's simulations reveal why galaxies were less efficient at making stars in the early universe. The team's model explains the connection between dust, gas, and star formation, shedding light on the evolution of spiral galaxies.
Astronomers from Bonn and St. Andrews discover that the discrepancy between calculated and observed star numbers may be due to an overestimation of stellar crowding, a phenomenon where young stars are born in groups, leading to more massive stars being overlooked.
According to a University of California, Berkeley study, nearly one in four sun-like stars could have Earth-size planets. The researchers found increasing numbers of smaller planets, down to super-Earths, about three times the mass of Earth.
Astronomers have found evidence for stellar cannibalism in the star BP Piscium, which appears to be an old red giant. The discovery suggests that stars like our Sun may engulf companion stars or planets as they age.